Guide for a moving belt

ABSTRACT

A moving belt such as a flexible screen used to carry open width webs in a textile machine, is guided along a predetermined longitudinal path by means of a pair of peripherally grooved rollers engaging opposing marginal edges of the belt and a transverse roll extending across the belt to guide it into the grooves of the edge rollers. The axes of the grooved rollers are perpendicular to the axis of the transverse roll and all are mounted on common brackets to maintain a pre-established geometrical relationship between the grooved rollers and the guide roll.

United States Patent 1 Holm 1 GUIDE FOR A MOVING BELT [75] Inventor: William J. Holm, Springfield, Vt.

[73] Assignee'. Riggs & Lombard, Inc., Lowell,

Mass.

22 Filed: Feb. 1 4,1914

21 Appl. No.: 442,561

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 304,247, Nov. 6, 1972,

abandoned.

[51] Int. Cl? B65l-l 23/32 [58] Field of Search: 226/196, 198, 199, 21; 198/202 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,545,599 Smith 198/202 Dec. 23, 1975 3,687,273 8/1972 Macone 198/202 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Schacher Attorney, Agent, or FirmMorse, Altman, Oates & Bello l 57] ABSTRACT A moving belt such as a flexible screen used to carry open width webs in a textile machine, is guided along a predetermined longitudinal path by means of a pair of peripherally grooved rollers engaging opposing marginal edges of the belt and a transverse roll extending across the belt to guide it into the grooves of the edge rollers. The axes of the grooved rollers are perpendicular to the axis of the transverse roll and all are mounted on common brackets to maintain a preestablished geometrical relationship between the grooved rollers and the guide roll.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 FIG. 2

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IIIIIIIIIII III-IIIIIIIIIIIH GUIDE FOR A MOVING BELT This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 304,247, filed Nov. 6, I972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to web guiding devices and more particularly is directed towards new and improved apparatus for guiding a longitudinally moving belt along a predetermined path.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is a difficult matter to make a web or belt follow a constant path when being guided by rollers through a textile machine, for example. Minor differences in ma' chine tolerances will cause the web or belt to wander from side-to-side. Also, slight variations in tension at different parts of the belt or web will cause it to drift from side-to-side. Where a relatively thin or fragile web is being guided through a production stage, it is maintained along a straight path normally by means of a web edge sensing device in cooperation with some type of movable guide roll which shifts in response to the web edge sensing device in order to correct for deviations in the travel of the web. These systems usually are quite complex and expensive and generally are not suitable for use with a continuous belt such as a foraminous screen used to support a web of cloth or paper during some stage of its manufacture. Normally, such belts, even though relatively short in relation to the web being carried, nevertheless do tend to wander and the practice heretofore has been to attempt to adjust the drive and supporting rollers into perfect parallel relationship. While such adjustment may be satisfactory for a short term, nevertheless gradual changes in tension and other factors will cause the belt to wander.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple means for preventing transverse movement of a moving continuous belt. Another object of this invention is to provide a belt guiding apparatus which, once adjusted, maintains a predetermined geometrical relationship which insures proper tracking of the belt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention features a guiding apparatus for a continuous belt or the like comprising an elongated guide roll extending transversely across the path of travel of the web and in tangential contact therewith and a pair of peripherally grooved rollers mounted adjacent opposite edges of the belt and in the plane thereof. The grooved rollers are mounted for rotation about parallel axes perpendicular to the plane of the belt and to the axis of the transverse roll.

The roller grooves lie in a plane tangential to the transverse roll and receive the opposite edges of the belt guided along the predetermined path.

A pair of brackets supports the ends of the transverse roll and the grooved rollers to maintain a pre-established geometry to prevent belt wander.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view in perspective ofa belt-guiding apparatus made according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a detail top plan view of one side of the guiding aparatus, and,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of 33 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the reference character I0 generally indicates an apparatus for guiding a flat, open width belt I2 along a predetermined path. The guiding apparatus 10 is particularly suited for use with a continuous belt of heavy material such as a flexible link screen, for example, used in textile machines to support a cloth web through various manufacturing processes such as scouring, dyeing and the like.

The belt I2 may be in any width and of varied construction. The guide apparatus is particularly useful in guiding continuous wide, flat belts of a foraminous nature such as a flexible chain link fabrication, mesh screen and the like. Such belts are used commonly in the textile industry to carry lengths of fabric through various processes in a flat, open width condition. For example, chain link belts are used to transport fabrics through scouring machines which apply liquid solvents onto the moving web for cleaning purposes. The openwork belt allows drainage through the web and facilitates drying as it is carried along.

The belt guiding apparatus 10 is comprised of an elongated roll 14, a pair of brackets I6 and 18 and a pair of peripherally grooved rollers 20 and 22. The brackets 16 and 18 are mounted in fixed position to rigid supports such as side walls 24 and 26 which may be the housing for a fabric scouring machine or the like. Each bracket 10, of the illustrated embodiment, includes a base member 28 which may be in the form of a section of angle iron stock or the like and which is rigidly fixed to the supporting side walls as by welding. Each base member 28 extends horizontally from its side wall and is oriented so that a wall 30 thereof extends in a vertical plane perpendicular to the length of the web 12. The vertical wall 30 is formed with a pair of slots 32 and 34 to accommodate a pair of bolts 36 and 38 extending therethrough and which are secured by nuts 40 and 42. The bolts 36 and 38 serve to fasten an adjustable bracket portion 44 to the back-side of the wall 30.

The bracket portion 44 includes a length of angle iron or the like, one wall 46 of which is in face-to-face engagement with the wall 30, as best shown in FIG. 3, while another wall 48 is disposed in a horizontal plane and carries the peripherally grooved roller 20 by means of a stub shaft 50. The adjustable bracket portion 44 also includes a rearwardly extending arm 52 at the end of which is mounted a bearing cap 54 for supporting a reduced end 56 of the transverse roll 14. The brackets support the transverse roll 14 on the feed side of the peripherally grooved rollers 20 and 22 so that the web 12 will be in tangential contact with the upper part of the roll 14, as best shown in FIG. 3, and in the plane of annular grooves 58 and 60 formed in the rollers 20 and 22. In this manner the web 12 is guided precisely into the grooves of the rollers 20 and 22 to maintain proper guiding relationship therewith. The grooves 58 are relatively deep and preferably the entrance thereto is chamfered as best shown in FIG. 3, in order to smooth out the contact with the belt edges. In the preferred form of the invention, the guide rollers 20 and 22 are formed from a plastic material, preferably nylon, which provides good wearing characteristics with respect to a chain link belt I2. Nylon will not be abrasive to the belt but rather will provide a smooth rolling, guiding action therewith. The transverse roll 14 may be ofany suitable construction and may be in the form of a pipe roll or a rubber-covered roll. for example.

In practice, the guiding apparatus is installed in the manner illustrated so that the transverse roll 14 tangentially engages either an upper or lower surface of the feed side of the grooved rollers and 22 depending upon the particular threading arrangement of the belt. In the illustrated embodiment, the transverse roll 14 is on the lower side of the belt. The grooved rollers 20 and 22 are positioned on opposite sides of the belt with the belt edges passing through the peripheral grooves 58 and 60 to bear against the base of each groove as best shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the opposite edges of the belt are in tangential contact with the groove bases of the guide rollers.

The width of the annular grooves substantially corresponds with the thickness of the belt so that there is a positive guiding engagement not only along the belt edges but along the upper and lower margins. Thus, the guide rollers will not allow the belt edges to curl or otherwise distort if there is any tendency for the belt to wander but rather will hold the belt firmly along its preset path. Once the belt has been aligned and the guide rollers positioned so that the bases of the grooves are in tangential contact with opposing edges, the nuts and bolts 36 and 38, 40 and 42 are tightened to fix the established geometrical relationship. By mounting the transverse roll 14 on the same brackets 16 and 18 that supports the guide rolls there is no need to make any independent adjustment of the transverse roll after the position of the grooved rollers has been set, insofar as the geometrical relationship of the roll and the rollers will not change.

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States 1. Apparatus for guiding a flat belt along a predetermined path, comprising a. rigid bracket means mounted in fixed position adjacent opposite sides of said path,

b. a pair of peripherally grooved rollers rotatably mounted in fixed position to said bracket means one on each side of said path in position to engage opposing edges of said belt,

c. the grooves of said roller being co-planar with said belt whereby the edges of said belt pass through said grooves, the opposing annular side walls of each of said grooves being parallel to one another over a substantial portion of the depth of said groove and spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said belt,

(1. a guide roll rotatably mounted in fixed position to said bracket means and extending transversely of said path and tangential to the plane of said belt and said grooves,

c. said bracket means including a fixed base portion and adjustable arm portions, said roll and rollers being mounted to said arm portions in fixed geometrical relation, said arm portions normally being rigid and fixed in operation to prevent displacement of said rollers by said belt, and,

f. a bearing mounted to each of said arm portions for engaging and supporting the ends of said roll. i l 

1. Apparatus for guiding a flat belt along a predetermined path, comprising a. rigid bracket means mounted in fixed position adjacent opposite sides of said path, b. a pair of peripherally grooved rollers rotatably mounted in fixed position to said bracket means one on each side of said path in position to engage opposing edges of said belt, c. the grooves of said roller being co-planar with said belt whereby the edges of said belt pass through said grooves, the opposing annular side walls of each of said grooves being parallel to one another over a substantial portion of the depth of said groove and spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said belt, d. a guide roll rotatably mounted in fixed position to said bracket means and extending transversely of said path and tangential to the plane of said belt and said grooves, e. said bracket means including a fixed base portion and adjustable arm portions, said roll and rollers being mounted to said arm portions in fixed geometrical relation, said arm portions normally being rigid and fixed in operation to prevent displacement of said rollers by said belt, and, f. a bearing mounted to each of said arm portions for engaging and supporting the ends of said roll. 